Jim Harmon, executive director of SeaShare, in Seattle, and Scott Blake, president of Copper River Seafoods, were among those honored for their achievements at the recent Global Food Alaska 2011 conference in Soldotna. Harmon was named Alaska champion in the competition among food service, restaurant, distributor, wholesaler, broker and retail partners for individuals who played a significant role in putting Alaska food, beverage or bio products into the marketplace on a local, national or international level. Blake won in the manufacturer/processor category as the individual who has demonstrated the most leadership in processing or manufacturing Alaska food, beverage or bio products.
Seashare’s seafood donation program solicits and collects donated seafood from Alaska and Pacific Northwest harvesting and processing firms and distributes the fish through established food banks to thousands of Americans. During Harmon’s tenure SeaShare has distributed over 150 million meals, over half of that volume coming from previously under-utilized fish in Alaska.
Blake’s leadership of Copper River Seafoods, which he founded with two fishing partners in 1996, has made the company one of the largest Alaska owned and based processing firms. Global Foods Alaska saluted Blake for redefining the relationship of fishermen with their processors, maximizing utilization of the fish through waste recovery products, recycling of waste heat, lean manufacturing practices as applied to energy utilization and a company –wide strategy for career training in that industry.
Blake shared honors in the manufacturer/processor category with Ralph Carney, president of Alaska Chip Company.
The event marked the second time, the first being in 2009, that the Global Food Alaska Conference and Showcase brought together buyers and sellers of Alaska grown, harvested and produced food, beverage and agri-products to network for their mutual entrepreneurial benefit.
